Safety First
by Samantha-Girl Scout
Summary: Shoichi wakes up to find Byakuran on the other side of the phone asking him get up and go out with him on an adventure in the middle of the night. 10051. One-Shot. Complete.


"Put on something warm," are the first words that Shoichi hears when he picks up his phone. He rubs his tired eyes and sighs before glancing at his alarm clock. It blurrily states that that it is much too late for him to be talking on the phone. Let alone considering his friend's request.

"Byakuran," he whines into the receiver as his hand instinctually finds his glasses and places them on his face. The numbers become clearer. "It's two in the morning. Can't this wait until later?" There is laughter on the other end of the line. His friend's obvious disregard for the time pushing a small dose of annoyance into his veins.

"No. It can't. I'll be there in five minutes." Shoichi is about to protest even more, but the line clicks off and the dial tone is his only response. The redhead collapses back onto his pillow with a groan.

Ever since the timelines were reset, Byakuran has had this habit of showing up in his life at the most random of times. Each time trying to coerce his friend into leaving his life of comfort in order to sate his own boredom. There had been days where the sudden adventures became nuisances to Shoichi's daily life, but, at the same time, he found himself grateful for the breaks in his monotonous schedule. The times that they now spent together left Shoichi with an odd blend of emotions that he didn't know what to do with.

Letting out a sigh of resignation, Shoichi finds himself moving to get dressed. While he was becoming acclimated to his friend's eccentric ways of hanging out - showing up unannounced at the door was his favorite- hanging out after midnight was still an odd occurrence that deserved to be investigated. Stumbling blindly to his closet, Shoichi grabs the first pieces of clothing that he finds. He pulls on a pair of jeans and a hoodie over the tee and boxers that he had been sleeping in.

He is just about to attempt to right his obnoxiously messy hair when a knock at his window startles him. He finds himself almost stumbling over a pile of books and clothes and he barely catches himself on the wall before he falls to the ground on who-knows-what is lying in wait on his floor. He considers turning on the light to see what he almost fell onto, but he doesn't want to appear any more suspicious to his mother. Instead, he carefully steps over to the window and looks out at the barely lit yard in search of Byakuran.

"Hello, Sho-chan!" The redhead lets out a startled yelp at the sudden sound of his friend's voice somewhere in the darkness. He quickly attempts to stifle the sound with his hands. There is a breath of silence that makes him worry that his outcry woke his family with his outburst, but the ensuing silence in the rest of the house assures him that they are still asleep. He turns to give the other teen an annoyed glare.

"Byakuran," he hisses quietly, "don't startle me like that!"

"Sorry, Sho-chan," the white-haired teen comes into view of the window. He is sheepishly scratching the back of his head with a barely-illuminated smile on his face. It clearly says that he is not sorry. At all. "Are you ready?"

"Almost. I just need to get my shoes and then I'll be ready." He turns from the window and quietly navigates to the front door to collect his shoes. He considers just slipping on a pair of sandals, but, since there is no telling where Byakuran will be taking them, he choose to slip on a pair of tennis shoes instead. Sneaking back into the room, he slowly closes his door. When he turns around, Byakuran is leaning against the frame while looking out over the yard.

He pauses to consider what he might need and decides to only take his phone with him. Sliding it into his pocket, Shoichi opens the window as much as it will allow and clambers out of it. He is grateful that he is on the first floor as his last limb, his left foot of course, catches on the frame and almost sends him sprawling into the dirt and grass. He is only saved from an unfortunate injury by Byakuran's arms that barely get to him in time.

"Careful, Sho-chan," he chides as he rights his friend onto his own feet, "I'd hate to see you get hurt."

"T-Thanks," he mumbles quietly as he attempts to calm himself. Shoichi takes a few calming breaths as stands. His breathing starts to even out as he watches Byakuran carefully closes the window behind him.

He hopes that this isn't a sign of how the rest of the night is going to go.

"Let's go!" Byakuran says happily as he reaches for Shoichi's hand and leads him away from the house. Neither of them speak as the walk to an undetermined location. It isn't long, though, before they stop about half a block from Shoichi's apartment. Byakuran, still holding Shoichi's hand, turns and smiles. There is a flash of some emotion that Shoichi is unable to understand before he breaks the silence between them.

"Do you trust me?" The question throws Shoichi off. He is not quite sure what type of trust his friend is asking about. Sure, he trusts Byakuran enough to leave his house at odd times to go gallivanting around town, but that is only because he knows that Tsuna is only a phone call away if something were to go awry. If the white-haired teen is asking whether he trusts him unconditionally though…

The ever-present ache of his stomach seems to intensify at the thought. There is a part of him that truly wishes that he could answer with a simple yes, but there is another part of him that will not allow him to submissively lie for the sake of the other's feelings.

"I-" He plays with a loose string on the sleeve of his hoodie as he fumbles with how to answer his friend. He looks up and tries to come up with an answer. And, if the look on his face isn't enough to clue Byakuran into his internal struggle, then his silence most certainly is. Byakuran hums in disappointment as he looks away himself as an uncharacteristic frown flits across his own face.

"It's alright, Sho-chan. I understand." There is another awkward silence that falls between them as they both consider the situation. Shoichi is about to break it with an explanation of sorts when Byakuran suddenly locks eyes with him and looks at him with determination. "I'll just have to earn it back, won't I?"

The serious look in his eyes is somewhat reminiscent of another's, and Shoichi feels seeds of both doubt and hope plant themselves in his already unsteady stomach. Doubt that his friend will be able to fully regain the broken trust between them and hope that he will be able to prove him wrong.

"Alright," he says with a sudden nod of his head, "then let's take the first step: close your eyes." Shoichi takes a step back in surprise and gapes at his friend for the odd request.

"W-why do I need to-"

"Please, Sho-chan?" The pleading look does nothing for Shoichi's poor nerves. The redhead wants to say no. That he can't trust him quiet yet. That there hasn't been enough time between futures-that-never-will-be and pasts-that-never-happened. He feels a small squeeze from the hand holding his and he finds himself looking down at the previously forgotten appendage. The point of contact is both foreign, familiar, and not all-together unwelcome. He considers the conflicting emotions colliding inside of himself for a moment before his decision solidifies in his mind.

Shoichi closes his eyes.

"Fine," he acquiesces both verbally and with a nod of his head. He continues speaking before his friend can say anything. "But, if you do anything bad, I won't trust you ever again. No matter what you try to do."

"Thank you, Sho-chan!" A sudden too-tight hug almost sends the nervous redhead to the ground again and most certainly stains his cheeks a shade of red. "I promise that I won't do anything bad and you'll absolutely love it. Now stand perfectly still, okay?" Shoichi nods begrudgingly as Byakuran pulls back and drops his hand.

Apprehension clutches him for a moment as his vulnerability dawns on him. He isn't quite sure where his friend is without the physical contact, but he can tell that he is now walking away. He can hear Byakuran's footsteps continue for a short distance before they stop and the rustling of a plastic sack rustling can be heard. Next, the loud clink of metal can be heard over the rustle of fabric and approaching footsteps.

When the steps come to a halt again, Shoichi can tell that Byakuran is once again standing in front of him. He then feels familiar arms wrap around him momentarily before the weight of a strap wrapping around his middle makes him gasp and flinch. He tenses when he hears a metallic click as the leather is fastened. A bubble of panic begins to well when he feels the strap tighten as flashes of memories go across his mind in quick succession. A too-small container, memories that aren't his own, the overwhelming feeling of-

"Easy, Sho-chan," Byakuran murmurs lightly as he puts a steadying hand on Shoichi's shoulder in an attempt to calm him. Shoichi expects him to immediately say more, but instead he remains silent. The redhead focuses his attention on the single point of contact as he takes a few breaths in an attempt to clear his mind of the memories. Byakuran holds still a few minutes after Shoichi begins to calm down before moving away to continue whatever it is that he is doing. Confusion fills the younger teen as his feet are lifted, one after the other, before they are placed gently back into place. He holds in his questions, but, when his arms are raised to his sides, he cannot keep his curiosity to himself any longer.

"What the heck?" There is a pause in Byakuran's movements before he laughs lightly. The white-haired teen hums to himself but does not explain his actions. The next thing that Shoichi knows his arms and legs are simultaneously being threaded through straps of some sort. The redhead sucks in a startled breath when the leg straps halt mid-thigh at the same time that the straps moving over his arms settle over his shoulders and a strap is fastened high on his chest with a metallic clink. A moment later all of the straps are tightened in a quick succession that leaves Shoichi slightly breathless.

There's a light touch on either side of his face as Byakuran, surprisingly gentle, lifts Shoichi's face up from where it had been hanging. A wave of vulnerable panic washes through him as he feels the weight of his glasses leave his face before there is the loud thunk of a glasses case closing nearby. Byakuran should know that he cannot see anything without his glasses. He is about to voice his protests when he feels something being eased down to replace his glasses. It isn't until the object suctions itself to his forehead that it dawns on Shoichi that his friend is putting goggles on him.

"Byakuran, are you putting _goggles_ on me?"

"Perhaps." Byakuran says in a sing song voice directly in front of Shoichi as he adjusts the goggles and does not, in any way, answer the question posed to him. Then, once they are secure, he moves to stand behind Shoichi. He hears another click and feels the belt around his middle pull slightly before slackening as something is fastened to it from behind. He then feels Byakuran's arms wrap around him from behind in a much gentler hug than earlier. He squeezes him around the middle before speaking. "I promise that you're going to like this. Just trust me, okay?"

"O-okay." Shoichi says in uncertainty.

"Hold on tight, Sho-chan, and keep your eyes closed until I tell you to open them!" The redhead nods as his hands seek out Byakuran's arms that are resting about his waist. He grasps his hands over them in fear of the unknown. He receives a reassuring squeeze.

"Okay! Three…" Byakuran's odd exclamation confuses Shoichi immensely. Why on Earth would his friend be counting?

"Two... "Everything starts to click in his mind as his friend continues to count loudly.

"One…"His hold on his friend's arms tighten to the point that he knows his friend will eventually lose feeling as terror grips him and only one thought is going through his mind:

He's going flying!

"Here we go!"

Precisely one moment later there is the sound of flapping and then there is nothing beneath his feet. The odd straps, a skydiving harness he belatedly realizes, are digging into his skin as a new pressure pushes down from above and onto his head and shoulders. He feels his stomach plummet into his suddenly heavy feet and the air around them is whipping about them at a much lower temperature than before.

Then, when all of these feelings seem to mount to a point that Shoichi is sure he will be unable to handle it any longer, they all but disappear and the redhead is left feeling absolutely weightless. He feels them level out and it's as though the straps are suspending him. He hears a sudden joyful burst of laughter from his right ear as Byakuran settles his head on his friend's shoulder.

" _Breath_ e, Sho-chan!" his friend commands lightly over the ever present wind around them. He does as he's told and takes in a few breaths. They don't go nearly as far as he is used to, the air is much thinner up here, but they help all the same. "You can open your eyes now! This isn't a view many people get to see!"

Shoichi is apprehensive of opening his eyes. He is not necessarily afraid of heights, he had even asked his friend off-handedly to take him flying at one point, but he knows that it'll be impossible for him to fully appreciate what his friend wants him to see. He can feel the weight of the goggles over his face. He entertains the thought that Byakuran had indeed thought of that, and that is the reasoning behind his wearing goggles. But, the fact that prescription goggles are hard to come by weighs on his mind. With a heavy sigh, he cracks his eyes open, disappointment waiting to seize him.

It disappears entirely as the world around him sharpens into a sight that takes his breath away.

Below him is the town that he has called his home for the entirety of his life. Streetlights twinkle as they pass above them and the streets seem to glisten like a spider's web just out of reach. Occasional flickers of red indicate the few drivers out and about as they traverse the world below. He can make out people who are walking to and fro in the busier area of town. He finds himself imagining them as small ants, scurrying from place to place in search of food.

In the slowly approaching distance, he can see the looming mountain that is ever-present on the edge of town. He can just barely make out the shapes of the trees swaying in the wind, their leaves illuminated by the moon that is now much closer than he had ever imagined possible. He unconsciously lets go of one of Byakuran's arms to reach towards it in a belief that, if he reaches just a little bit more, he will be able to touch its surface.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" His friend asks softly over the wind. He feels his friend's arms hug him a little bit tighter. "Are you able to see alright with those goggles?" Shoichi tries to respond, but the view below stalls his words on his lips and a small nod is all he is able to manage. "Wonderful!" Byakuran crows in excitement before continuing. "Spanner was the one who made them. He promised me that you'd be able to see just fine, but I still was worried that you wouldn't be able to."

"They-They're perfect."

"I'm glad." Moments of silence pass by like the peaceful sights below as Shoichi continues to look around in wonder. He notices the moon reflecting off of the distant water that he rarely visits. The waves cresting white before disappearing again. He then looks up to the sky and sees stars that he normally cannot below the light pollution. He knows that he would be able to see even more if they were farther away from Namimori, but he feels content with those that he can see.

Contentment begins to bubble inside of him as his ever-present anxiety continues to wane He takes a deep breath and relishes in how crisp and clean the air is compared to the usually suffocating and stale air that he normally breaths. As he lets the breath out, he feels a sense of calm wash over him.

Shoichi notices that he feels no fear of falling. The security of his friend's arms, as well as the harness, have allowed him to abandon it in favor of an unfamiliar thrill. He finds that he is grateful for both and knows that, more than likely, he would not feel this… Free with only one of them. He doesn't know what to make of either feeling and decides to think on it later. For now he decides to voice a question that he had been wondering for quite a while instead.

"Why did you put me in a harness? Don't you normally just hold people when you go flying?" He can feel his friend pause. Even without the ability to see his face, Shoichi knows that he is apprehensive of answering him. He doesn't expect the other to actually answer. But, as he hears –and feels– Byakuran take in a breath, he turns his attention to what the other is saying.

"I almost dropped Bluebell a month ago when she asked me to fly her to school." His tone has a tinge of guilt as his arms tighten protectively around Shoichi's waist. There is small silence as they continue to glide towards the horizon. The lights slowly starting to become sparser the further they travel. "I was visiting her and she was very excited to see me. So, because she wanted to spend time with me and not go to school, she became upset and demanded that I take her to the zoo instead. When I tried to tell her that she needed to go to school, she moved and then suddenly she was slipping out of my arms and-"Byakuran's breath hitches as a shudder travels through him. "I was able to get to her in time. But, to be honest, ever since then, I've been scared to take any one flying." He takes in a breath before continuing.

"Before the incident, I had been planning to surprise you with a trip around the city like this. You mentioned wanting to go once before, so I wanted to make it happen. I went so far as to order you these prescription goggles from Spanner-kun so that you'd be able to see. But, afterwards, I was so scared that I started scrapping the idea. When I told Spanner-kun about canceling, though, he actually got quite angry."

"He told me that there was no way that he would let his hard work be wasted just because I had some 'stage fright.'" Byakuran lets out a small laugh at the memory. "I don't think I've been so fearful for my life before." Shoichi feels a laugh bubble out of him as well at the thought of a young Spanner becoming irate.

"When he finally calmed down and allowed me to explain, he was a bit more understanding, but he still did not want me to give up on the idea of taking you flying. So, he said that he would come up with something to solve the problem. The next day I received a phone call from him telling me that he had created a harness that would prevent someone from falling again. He finished it that day and that's how we ended up where we are today."

"But…" Shoichi starts and pauses. There is so much that he wants to ask, but he finds himself voicing the question that weighs the heaviest on his mind: "Why?"

"I wanted to make Sho-chan happy."

Shoichi feels his breath catch. There are many times that he can recall Byakuran saying these same words, but this is the first time that they are said with a genuineness that he cannot doubt. Byakuran truly means it.

He can feel it to his core.

And, with the revelation that Byakuran has learned the meaning of selflessness, it is almost too much for him to handle. He tries to swallow over a growing lump in his throat, but nothing that he does seems to make it go away. The once clear view below begins to fog as tears gather in his eyes and mist over the goggles from the insie. He tries to hold all of the emotions inside. But, instead, they spill out as a small sob that wracks his body and startles his keeper.

"Shoichi?" Byakuran asks in concern. "Are you alright? If this is too much I can-"

" _No_." The word is too loud, too broken, for Shoichi's tastes, but he can't seem to care too much. He cannot allow his friend to believe that he is ungrateful for what he has done or him. "N-no, th-that's not i-it." He tries to take a deep breath to steady himself. There are so many things that he wants to say, but none of the words are coming out. All that he can manage are broken sentences and a few gasps.

"It's okay, Sho-chan," the white-haired teen says reassuringly into his ear as one of his hands rubs comforting circles where they are resting about his waist. "Close your eyes and take a few deep breaths, alright?"

Shoichi nods and does as he's told. He focuses in on only what he physically feels. The rush of the air, Byakuran's reassuring grip, and the straps securing himself to the teen behind him. All of the sensations help to ground him as the churning emotions begin to calm somewhat.

He feels a slight decent in their flight as Byakuran speaks again.

"I'm sorry for upsetting you, Sho-chan," the young leader says in a tone that can barely be heard above the wind. "I didn't mean to-"

"I'm not upset B-Byakuran," Shoichi says through an unsteady laugh as he gropes blindly for the other's hand before squeezing it. "I'm just... No one has ever… _You've_ never done anything like this for me before. I guess I'm just a little-" he takes a shuddering breath, "a little overwhelmed is all."

He opens his eyes and cranes his neck in an attempt to look at his friend with watery eyes, a small smile breaks across his face. He cannot see the other clearly, but he can see the edges of a concerned frown and knows that their time in the sky will be coming to a close soon.

"I'm really happy that you did this for me." Shoichi squeezes the other's hand again in an attempt to reassure his friend. From what the redhead can see, though, his words seem to fall on deaf ears. Out of the corner of his eye he can see Byakuran nodding, but there is a distinct frown on his face. It isn't long before Byakuran offers an excuse of the late hour as he carefully turns them around and aims in the direction of where their adventure began. Shoichi is disappointed, wishes that their flight together would never end, but he knows that it would be an impossible feat at this point.

The blend of comfort and adrenaline ebbs into the familiar ache of his stomach as they silently descend and reality begins to return. All of their descent has been spent in silence and, as their feet land on the ground simultaneously, Shoichi is no closer to finding the right words to reassure Byakuran that his breakdown was not something negative. That he is appreciative of the gesture. That their time spent flying held some of the most freeing and grounding moments that he has ever experienced.

And, that he would do almost anything to go flying again.

"I'll walk you home." Are the first words spoken between them as Byakuran unclasps his arms and the tether between them before stepping around and beginning the process of undoing all of the fastenings on the harness. Shoichi tries to meet the other's eyes, but they are focused entirely on the task at hand. He can see a small amount of disappointment starting to edge its way into his expression. It is obvious to the programmer that he is trying to mask it, but he is not able to fully keep it hidden.

"You know," Shoichi begins as he feels the straps loosen from his body before they fall to the ground, "I really wasn't upset."

"You almost had a panic attack, Sho-chan," Byakuran states simply in a condescending manner as he continues working on the straps on Shoichi's body. He can tell that Byakuran believes that there is no more to be said on the subject. That there is nothing else to say because their experience has been ruined. But Shoichi knows that if the subject is dropped now that it will never be picked up again. That the point of impact will create a small crack that will become a fissure over time.

And Shoichi refuses to allow it to happen over something as small as this.

"You know, Byakuran," he says in an off-handed manner that immediately gains the other's attention. "Trust isn't built by one person. You may think that I'm the only one who has trust issues right now, but I can tell you right now that you don't trust me very well."

"Sho-chan," Byakuran pauses as he gives the other an unreadable look, "Of course I-"

"No, you don't. I told you that I wasn't upset, but instead of trusting me you acted on an assumption that, just because I cried, that I was upset with you. I can tell you right now that I was not upset by what you said or did, instead I was grateful– even _touched_ by it. You can't…"Shoichi breaks eye contact as he looks away as he searches for the words that are just beyond his reach. "You can't ignore the fact that I've broken your trust in the past as well."

"Sho-chan, I don't ignore it. I've already forgiven you for what you had to do. And-"

"Forgiveness and trust are completely different things, but they aren't mutually exclusive," he cuts in as he turns back to look at his friend pointedly. "You can forgive someone without trusting them, and you can trust someone without forgiving them. Besides, you can't honestly expect me to let you ask for me to trust you and not expect me to ask the same of you."

Byakuran looks up at his friend in consideration. Shoichi isn't sure what emotions his face and eyes are displaying, but it is a relief when it is enough for his friend to smile in understanding. He finishes removing Shoichi's harness before removing his own and retrieving Shoichi's glasses. It is when they are exchanging his glasses for the goggles that Byakuran speaks again.

"This isn't something that we can solve in one night, is it." Shoichi scoffs at the statement as he cleans his glasses.

"Of _course_ it isn't!" He replaces the spectacles. "Trust is something that takes time and effort to create." Byakuran hums in thought as he slings the now full bag over his shoulder. He starts heading in the direction of Shoichi's house, the other quickly falling into step beside him.

"How do you suggest we go about gaining each other's trust then?"

"I… I don't know, spending more time together, talking-"

"Going flying?" The mischievous look in his eyes sends a flush through Shoichi's face.

"I wouldn't exactly be o-opposed to the idea of going again…"A laugh escapes Byakuran as a small smile creeps over the redhead's own face.

They lapse into a silence that is far more comfortable and clear of the tension that had built between the two of them. It continues until they reach Shoichi's window. And it is not until Byakuran opens it that Shoichi realizes that their time is up.

Shoichi almost reaches for the other to hug him or something of the sort, but he knows that he shouldn't tonight. That there will be times to come where he won't hesitate to do such, but, until that time comes, he should be patient and allow it to happen on its own. So, instead of doing so, he hoists himself back into his room. It is when he is halfway through the window that he hesitates, though.

"Byakuran?"

"Yes Sho-chan?"

"I just…" Shoichi is at a loss for words as he rests his hands flat against the wood in order to steady himself on the windowsill. "I just wanted to say… Thank you. Thank you for taking me out flying tonight. It really meant a lot to me."

"Of course, Sho-chan, anytime" It is evident to the shorter teen that the other has more that he wants to say. More that he wants to do. But, he can also see that he is standing at a respectful distance where he can keep his expectations in check. Shoichi is grateful for that as well. He smiles before waving and entering his room. He shuts it behind himself and looks out to see that his friend his already walking back out towards the street.

Heaving a sigh, Shoichi doesn't even bother taking off his shoes. He knows that he should return them to their place in order to avoid questions from his mother, but he allows the exhaustion that had been staved off by his earlier adrenaline overwhelm him. There are uncertainties and worries that war in the back of his mind as his stomach makes an attempt to keep him awake. But, Shoichi pushes those away as well in an attempt to go back to sleep. Because, though there is much work that needs to be done between the two, he knows that they will get there some day.

And it is with this new hope that Shoichi allows himself to fall asleep.

* * *

Thank you so much for reading! I've been working on this piece for awhile now. I have some mixed feelings about how it came out, especially the end, but Shoichi and Byakuran's friendship (or any other relationship to be completely honest) is always messy and usually has many pieces of it unresolved. Since it's a little different from how I normally write I'd really appreciate knowing what you thought of it so please leave a review!


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